Press Release

Open Source Communities Embrace New Option for Running Independent Foundations

OASIS Introduces Foundation-as-a-Service Program

BOSTON, MA, USA, July 21, 2020 — Groups that want to launch innovative, open source development projects are often daunted by the prospect of starting a nonprofit from scratch and the accompanying day-to-day administration. Yet, they don’t want to commit to costly support packages or lose control over their work or brand.

Foundation-as-a-Service from OASIS offers a new alternative. The program streamlines the process of forming and running foundations by letting groups operate independently while enjoying the benefits of the OASIS nonprofit corporate structure and expertise.

“It’s the best of both worlds for many communities,” said Guy Martin, OASIS Executive Director. “Groups have the freedom to work using their own rules and maintain their own brand while OASIS provides the necessary fiscal and legal administration–and whatever other support they need–including a potential path to standardization.”

Using Foundation-as-a-Service, groups receive nonprofit 501(c)(6) status under the umbrella of the OASIS corporate structure. Foundations form and run working groups using rules and processes they create or adapt from OASIS-provided models. Groups are advised and supported every step of the way by the technical, operational, legal, and marketing staff of OASIS, which has a 27-year track record of developing some of the most widely adopted open standards and open source code in use today.

Foundations also have the option to organize their technical work using Open Projects, the first-of-its-kind program that gives communities the power to develop what they choose–APIs, code, specifications, reference implementations, guidelines–under open source licenses with a path to standardization and recognition in global policy and procurement. Current Open Projects initiatives include the Open Cybersecurity Alliance, Ethereum OASIS, Baseline, and OSLC.

The Open Mobility Foundation (OMF) was the first group to take advantage of the OASIS Foundation-as-a-Service program. OMF develops open source software that enables the secure and scalable exchange of urban transportation data.

“OASIS was instrumental in launching the Open Mobility Foundation,” said Jascha Franklin-Hodge, OMF Executive Director. “OASIS continues to be there for us with advice and help whenever we need it. We stay focused on our technical agenda and avoid mistakes, confident that OASIS is handling all the back office administration.”

OASIS welcomes inquiries from groups seeking to form or transition existing open source Foundations using the Foundation-as-a-Service Program. Contact communications@oasis-open.org for details.

About OASIS:
One of the most respected, member-driven standards bodies in the world, OASIS offers projects—including open source projects—a path to standardization and de jure approval for reference in international policy and procurement. OASIS members include major multinational companies, SMEs, government agencies, universities, research institutions, consulting groups, and individuals are represented.

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